Glossary of Green

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY Energy from a source (i.e., wind, running water, the sun) other than conventional fossil-fuel sources such as oil, natural gas and coal.

BIODEGRADABLE A material or substance capable of being decomposed by biological agents without harmful effects to the environment.

BUILDING ENVELOPE The elements of a building such as its roof, walls and foundation that enclose conditioned spaces.

CERTIFIED WOOD Wood-based materials used in building construction that are supplied from sustainably managed forests.

CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCs) A group of volatile gases that have been shown to deplete the ozone layer. These gases have been discontinued from use as refrigerants and as blowing agents used to make foam.

CRADLE-TO-CRADLE A concept introduced by architect William McDonough that prescribes at the end of a product’s useful life, the product will decompose entirely with no negative environmental impact; otherwise it can be used as post-consumer material when recycled into a new product.

CRADLE-TO-GRAVE With no consideration for sustainability, these types of products are used for a period of time and then discarded, often long before their useful life is actually complete.

DAYLIGHTING A method of introducing natural daylight into interior spaces and controlling it specifically to reduce levels of electric lighting, minimize glare and optimize lighting quality.

DEFORESTATION To cut down and clear away trees or forests.

ECOSYSTEM A community of plants, animals (including humans) and their physical environment, functioning together as an interdependent unit within a defined area.

EMBODIED ENERGY All of the energy used to produce and transport a product to the jobsite, including the amount of energy needed to complete the installation.

ENERGY EFFICIENT Products and systems that use less energy to perform as well as or better than standard products. While some have greater up-front costs, energy-efficient products cost less to operate over their lifetime.

ENERGY STAR® RATING The label given by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to appliances and products that exceed federal energy-efficiency standards. This label helps consumers identify products that will save energy and money. Energy Star®-labeled appliances often exceed the efficiency levels of other new products. energystar.gov.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY Refers to products considered to cause little harm to the environment, including the biosphere, soil, water and air.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC) A non-profit organization that created and administers a forestry certification program to assure the responsible management of the world’s forests. fsc.org.

FORMALDEHYDE A colorless, gaseous compound used to bind together and preserve building materials and household products.

GREEN BUILDING A building that provides the specified building performance requirements while minimizing disturbance to and improving the functioning of local, regional and global ecosystems both during and after its construction and specified service life.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE GREEN BUILDING Buildings that include design features that conserve water and energy; use space, materials and resources efficiently; minimize construction waste; and create healthy indoor environments.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) The health and comfort of the air inside a building.

LIFE-CYCLE COST The amortized annual cost of a product that includes manufacturing, installation, operating, maintenance and disposal costs over the product’s lifetime.

NON-RENEWABLE Not replaceable after it has been used.

OFFGAS A process of evaporation or chemical decomposition through which vapors are released from materials. Also known as outgas.

PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) The capability of producing electricity from radiant energy such as that from the sun.

POLLUTION PREVENTION Any practice that reduces the amount of energy or materials in the design, manufacturing or purchasing of products or materials in an effort to increase the efficient use of resources, reduce toxicity and eliminate waste.

POST-CONSUMER A material or finished product that has been used by a consumer, then recycled and incorporated into building materials and identified as containing post-consumer recycled content.

RAPIDLY RENEWABLE Materials that are not depleted when used, but are typically harvested from fast-growing sources and do not require unnecessary chemical support. Examples include bamboo, flax, wheat, wool and certain types of wood.

RECLAMATION Restoration of materials found in the waste stream to a beneficial use that may be other than the original use.

RECYCLABILITY The ability of a product or material to be recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream for the purpose of recycling.

RECYCLING A system of collecting, separating and processing products or materials from the solid waste stream and manufacturing the raw materials for new products.

REMANUFACTURING The process of cleaning or repairing an existing product so that it can be used again.

RENEWABLE ENERGY Energy harvested from any natural source that can replenish itself naturally. Examples include solar energy, hydroelectric power and wind power.

REUSE Using a material, product or component of the waste stream in its original form more than once, rather than recycling it into other products.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

SUSTAINABILITY The ability of society to continue functioning into the future without being forced into decline through exhaustion or overloading of the key resources on which that system depends.

TOXICITY The ability of a material, or combination of materials, to adversely affect organisms.

UNITED STATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (USGBC) A coalition of leaders from across the building industry sector working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. usgbc.org.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) Chemicals containing carbon that exist as vapor or gases at normal temperatures. VOCs come from many products such as adhesives, carpeting, paints, solvents and cleaning products.

WASTE REDUCTION Preventing or eliminating the amount of waste generated at its source or to reduce the amount of toxicity from waste or the reuse of materials.